Jar-closure.



No. 790,749. I PATENTED MAY 23, 1905. J. J. RANNEY R. D. TINKHAM.

JAR GLOSURE. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1904.

PATENT Patented May 23, 1905.

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JOSEPH J RANNEY AND RALPH D. TINKHAM, OF MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS.

JAR-CLOSURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,749, dated May 23, 1905.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH J. RANNEY and RALPH D. TINKI-IAM, of Monmouth, in the county of Warren and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jar-Closures, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to closures or means for hermetically sealing jars in which fruits, jellies, pickles, and like. commodities are to be or are canned or preserved, and particularly to that class thereof which are closed by a seal of wax or other like material which is poured on the lid or cover of the jar or a part thereof, but to which an additional pressure may be applied, if desired.

A primary object of the invention consists in so constructing the jar and lid that the latter may be readily adjusted for the usual paraflin, wax, or other like sealing material, and which sealing material will be so distributed about the aforesaid parts as to effect a seal which will be permanent, inexpensive, and at the same time perfect in operation, which may be thoroughly cleaned when the contents of the jar are removed, and which may be readily and quickly removed when it becomes desirable so to do.

A further end and object is to provide a metallic spring-seal to augment the one aforesaic.

Another object is to provide a metallic spring-seal which may be used without the wax seal and which will be almost, if not altogether, as effective.

A still further object is to provideadevice of the character described wherein the lid, the metallic seal, and the wax seal, as we shall hereinafter term the sealing material or compound, all lie wholly within the neck or mouth of the jar and not above the upper surface thereof.

Other objects of our invention consist in novel structural features and combinations of devices, the operation of which devices separately and in combination will be found hereinafter fully described and recited in the claims of this specification.

A device embodying the preferred constructive forms of and showing the mutual re- Application filed September 23, 1904. Serial No. 225,633.

lationship and combinations of the parts forming the subject-matter of our improvements is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is avertical sectional view, partly broken away, showing the wax seal only; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the two seals, one of which is of metal and the other of wax or the like; and Fig. 3, a top plan.

Referring to the drawings by letters, the same letter indicating the same part in the different figures thereof, A represents a jar, preferably constructed of clay, having an upwardly extended neck B, an inwardly extended flange (J, having a flat horizontal shoulder or shelf 0, an annular bead E circumferentially and intcriorly thereof, avertical wall F, and a groove G, substantially V-shaped in configuration, formed by the under flat hori- Zontal face 0 of said bead and by the upwardly and outwardly curved face of the wall F. A mortise or recess H is formed in the bead E perpendicularly thereof and extends throughout its depth and to the outer edge of the an nular groove Gr, for a purpose hereinafter described. It will be evident that a plurality of mortises may be used, if preferred, in which case they are formed diametrically opposite each other.

We may here state that although we shall herein specifically describe the constructionand relative arrangement of the several elements of our invention, yet we do not desire to be confined to such specific constructions, as such changes or modifications may be made as fairly fall within the scope and purview of our invention.

The lid or cover J, preferably, also, formed of clay, has a pendent body member K, members 70, an annular flange L, flat on its under faceland beveled or curved downwardly and outwardly at its upper surface Z and is hollowed out at ,7' to form a knob M, in which is preferably a channel or recess m. The lid is of a diameter somewhat less than that of the inside diameter of the wall F, and its thickness is preferably such that when seated in its normal position the upper part of the knob will be on a horizontal plane lower than that of the face of the head 0.

a perfect seal.

N represents a gasket or packing-ring of resilient material, preferably rubber, and P indicates the Wax or like seal. R is the additional or secondary seal of flat resilient or spring metal and may be either curved, thus, in the form of a bow, thus, or it may be in the outline of an obtuse angle, as shown at Fig. 2, the latter being the preferred form.

When it is desired to use the device, the wax or other like seal only being employed, the cover J is seated in place with the flat face Zof the flange L resting on and contacting the opposing face or shoulder 0 of the flange C. Being, as hereinbefore stated, of somewhat less diameter than the interior diameter of the perpendicular wall F, a space or recess 0 will be formed. The wax seal in a molten state is'then poured round about the rim of the lid, from whence it will flow down into and completely fill and close the groove G and the spaces a 0, thus effecting a hermetic union of the jar and the lid. We desire it understood that we do not limit our claim to any amount of wax seal, as only enough thereof may be used to fill the spaces 0 and c or suflicient may be used to entirely cover the lid and either will be effective in accomplishing the desired purposenamely, to produce The seal may be removed by inserting a pointed instrument into the mortise, breaking the wax about the groove Gr, whereupon the wax lying within the space 0 will become loosened and may be readily removed.

When it is desired to use the metallic seal, together with the one above described, a gasket N is preferably placed on the shoulder c of the flange C and the cover J placed thereon. The, operation of pouring the wax is then proceeded with as above described. While the wax is yet in a molten state, one end, as R, of the spring-fastener is introduced into the groove G diametrically opposite the mortise or recess H. The distal end B of the spring is then forcibly sprung down into said recess and given a partial revolution on its axis, which will bring both of said ends beneath the face a of the bead E and the midlength part of the spring to rest with its vertex lying on the upper surface of the knob M. The pressure thus downwardly exerted on the lid, and thereby the gasket, will be very great and the wax seal when cool and hardened will not only serve to hold the spring from displacement, but will materially aid in preventing air entering into the jar and destroying the contents thereof.

When it is desired to remove the closure last described, a pointed instrument may be inserted into the wax seal at one side of the spring and one end of the latter be brought to register with the mortise H in the bead E, from which it is readily withdrawn. The operation last described will break the wax seal and permit the removal of the cover J.

When it is desired to employ the springclosure only, the last aforedescribed operation of sealing is proceeded with; but the wax is omitted.

It will be manifest that the jar, the cover therefor, and the metallic spring hereinbefore described may be readily and easily cleansed of all wax or other impurities which may have adhered thereto, that they are economic of manufacture, simple in manipulation and application, and that by reason of their durability they may be repeatedly used.

In the device herein shown and described the lid, the spring, and the wax lie in planes below the horizontal plane of the lower face 0 of the bead E. Thus assembled the jars may be packed, stored, boxed, or shipped in a compact and safe manner either top to top, top to bottom, or bottom to bottom, and each jar, even when sealed, will have a flat bearing-surface on which to rest, thus eliminating danger of the seal becoming disturbed and, permitting the admission of air to the contents of the package and destroying the same.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described and in combination, a jar having a neck, an annular bead interiorly thereof at its upper portion, said bead having a, vertical mortise, and said neck having also an annular interior groove, an inwardly-extending flange having a horizontal face, a lid having a peripheral flange with a beveled upper surface and a fiat under surface adapted to. rest on said horizontal seat, and having a knob centrally thereof, a primary seal of'wax or other like sealing material, and a metallic spring-seal, one of its ends adapted-to rest normally in said groove and its distal end in said mortise and to be given a partial revolution to bring both of its ends into engagement with the upper wall of said groove, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a jar having an upwardly-extended neck, a vertical wall, a, bead having a vertical mortise, and a gasket-seat, said neck having an annular interior groove, a. lid, a knob disposed centrally thereof, and a peripheral flange about said lid adapted to rest on a gasket on said gasket-seat, with a metallic spring, one end of which is adapted to lie within said groove and its other end he forced down into said mortise and given a partial rotation to permit both its ends to lie Within said groove and engage the upper wall thereof, and its mid-length portion engage said knob, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a jar having an elongated neck, said neck having therein an annular groove and a head, said head having a mortise, a horizontal flange within said neck, a lid having a centrally-disposed knob and a horizontal flange, and a gasket adapted to seat on the first-named flange, with aspring-seal, the mid-length portion of which engages the knob and the ends of which engage the upper wall of said groove, substantially as described.

4. In adevice of the character described and in combination, a jar having a neck, an annular bead interiorly thereof at its upper portion, said bead having a vertical mortise, said neck having also an annular interior groove, an inwardly-extending flange having a horizontal face or seat, a lid having a peripheral flange adapted to rest on said horizontal seat, a seal of wax or the like, and a seal of metal, the ends of the latter adapted to rest within the groove and contact its upper wall.

5. The combination of a jar having an upwardly-extended neck, a vertical wall, a bead having a vertical mortise, and a gasket-seat, said neck having an annular interior groove, a lid, a knob disposed centrally thereof, and a peripheral flange about said lid adapted to rest on said gasket-seat, and a seal of wax or the like; with a metallic spring, one end of which is adapted to lie within said groove and its other end be forced down into said mortise and given a partial rotation to permit both its ends to lie within said groove and engage the upper wall thereof, and its mid-length portion to engage said knob.

6. The combination of a jar having an elongated neck, said neck having therein an annular groove and a bead, said head having a mortise, a horizontal flange within said neck, a lid having a centrally-disposed knob and a horizontal flange, and a gasket adapted to seat on the first-named flange, with a seal of wax or the like and aspring-seal, the mid-length portion of which latter engages the knob and the ends of which engage the upper wall of said groove.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands'in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J. RANNEY. RALPH D, TINKHAM.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. EVEY, J. B. COLE. 

